


The Wolf Howls

by cynicaldesire



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2018-03-26 14:31:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3854212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynicaldesire/pseuds/cynicaldesire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Inquisitor (Trevelyan or Lavellan, your choice) goes off on a mission with (insert companions of your choice) and is not heard from for many weeks beyond the estimated completion time of said mission. (If romancing Solas) Solas wanders the fade and finds she's been taken captive and is being subjected to red lyrium and warped to become Corypheus' minion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Locate

It had been Varric that had brought the worry to his room. He had spent so much time dreaming, so much time studying, that he had lost track of time.

“She was supposed to be back days ago and Curly hasn’t received word yet.”

The number of paints he had dwindled dramatically as the days without word dragged on. Despite his efforts to reassure the dwarf, to reassure himself, to cope by way of vandalizing more of Skyhold with his art, the amount of tea he consumed increased exponentially.

She was missing. The Commander had decided that well into Week Three. And when Week Six came about, Solas no longer knew how to control his anger.

“The Inquisition is nothing without its Inquisitor, and you stand here and continue on working as if nothing is wrong!”

“We don’t have the resources to hunt for her, Solas, I’m sorry.” Leliana was the pragmatic one.

“I do not believe that her disappearance would be good to spread around to the nobles in the area. I worry for her safety as well, but my hands are tied. I trust she will be fine, Solas. She is the Inquisitor.” Josephine, always worried more about appearances.

“I have sent a search party to her last known location and I have the best trackers on their way to see if they can find her from there. I want to bring her back just as much as you do, Solas.” The Commander was a good man, acting where the others chose not to.

It would take days, perhaps even weeks for the search party to discover anything. But when the Commander had revealed his plan, Solas had at least gotten her last known location from him.

The tea was poured out on his way back to his quarters. He settled into his bed, focusing on her last known location.

_“Blackwall!”_

_The bearded man took a knee, trying desperately to fight off a whole battery of Red Templars. “Inquisitor, I think it’s about time you fell back!”_

_Her hair had fallen from her braids, obscured her vision. Blackwall was dying, was sacrificing himself, she knew that. But she didn’t have to accept it._

_“Sera, push them back! Vivienne, I need your healing. Tell me when and I’ll cast another Barrier. Form up!”_

_An explosion rocked the ground. Blackwall fell, smoke rising from his body. Little fires peppered his clothes._

_“No…"_ Solas felt the sorrow, the tears.  _"No, Blackwall. Vivienne!”_

_A dark laughter rocked through the Tevinter temple. “I told you at Haven, Pretender, that I would come for you.”_

_Sera screamed, fear filling the space around her._

_Vivienne’s magical blade formed in front of her and Corypheus threw her aside with a wave of his hand._

_A scream tore from her throat as her hand sparked, pulled toward the Darkspawn Magister. “I have a new destiny for you, Pretender. Samson has failed me, but you have everything I need. You shall be the Vessel. You shall be the Key.”_

_The pain coursed through her, the magic flaring, sparking under her skin. “I will never-“_

_Corypheus chuckled darkly. “You will.” He lifted his arm out, a shard of red lyrium hovering beside him. With a flick of his wrist, the shard was plunged it into her chest._

Solas woke with a start.


	2. Learn the Truth

His legs could not carry him fast enough to the War Table. It had the best map available and he would need it to find her.

He shook his head as he ran through Skyhold, lamenting the tea he had poured out on his way to his quarters. He needed it now, needed a clearer focus.

The Inquisitor’s Advisors were gathered in Josephine’s room. They looked to him as he burst through her door.

“Ah, Solas, what can-” Josephine attempted her trite diplomacy.

It was the Commander that noticed the change in him. “Solas, what is the matter?”

Solas threw the door open to the hall that led to the War Room. “I have a lead on her whereabouts, Commander. She is in danger.”

Cullen dropped the report he had been looking over and rushed after him. “How much danger?”

Solas pushed the door to the War Room. “Grave.”

Cullen followed after him. “How do you know this?”

Solas moved to the War Table. The map was covered with various little figurines with each of the advisor’s symbols. He clenched his jaw. She was there, somewhere under one of them.

“Here, she was here.” Cullen grabbed a figurine and pointed to the map.

The Western Approach. “She was in an ancient Tevinter temple.”

Cullen took a deep breath. “There are several of them around there, but she had said she was going to explore this one.” He moved to the bundle of maps at the side of the table and searched for the proper map. He pulled it out and spread it over the map on the table. “This one. It was behind a locked door.”

Solas glanced over the map, memorizing the structure. He turned on his heel and started out of the War Room.

“Solas! Where are you going?”

Solas shook his head. “To find the Inquisitor.”

The Commander grabbed the elf’s upper arm, tugging him back. Solas spun on him, eyes narrowed. “I have a right to know what has happened to the Inquisitor. And how you know.”

Solas growled and yanked his arm from the Commander’s grasp. “You know of my journeys into the Fade. I saw a memory of her and the others. They were ambushed.” He turned away. He had his bag already packed. He would find her. He would save her.

The Commander followed after him. “Ambushed? By who?

Solas pushed the door to the War Room. “Corypheus.”

 

—

Cassandra, Varric, Dorian, and the Commander had been more than eager to follow him to the last place Solas had seen the Inquisitor. Cullen had insisted after the knowledge that Corypheus was involved in the Inquisitor’s disappearance. And now that the Commander knew how helpful Solas’s journeys into the Fade could be, he knew that the fastest way to find her would be for the mage to venture into the Fade. And for that he would need a defense.

Solas was glad of the company. If the temple was as dangerous as he had seen, he would need the assistance. He would’ve gone alone, it would’ve been faster, but what could he do against Corypheus alone?

He set his jaw and slid down a sand dune. “Here. This is where I saw it.”

He moved into the courtyard of the temple. Blackwall’s body was gone. Sera’s footprints led away, but disappeared. Vivienne’s body left an indentation on the wall.

“Maker, what happened here?” Cassandra crouched by the dried blood where Blackwall had fallen.

“Does someone smell urine?” Dorian’s nose crinkled.

“This is where they were ambushed.” Solas tried to calm his heart.

“There’s a lot of red lyrium here.” Varric glanced around the temple. “You sure it’s safe here, Chuckles?”

“You said Corypheus had the Red Templars here? Perhaps they were looking for another source.” Cullen gave the shards of crimson a wide berth.

Their chatter was grating on his already frayed nerves. “I will need a moment to enter the Fade.”

Cassandra stood and moved closer to him. “And you believe this will work?”

Cullen placed a hand on the Seeker’s shoulder. “It has worked before, Cassandra. That is how we knew what happened at all. Have faith.”

She pressed her lips together and crossed her arms. “Fine. Take your nap. We will guard your body.”

He nodded and lie down in the sand of the courtyard. He positioned his pack to act as a pillow.

“ _Inquisitor!” Vivienne called out, trying to mask her panic._

 _Corypheus turned to the First Enchanter of Montsimmard. The Inquisitor screamed behind him. Blood filled the air around her as red lyrium shot out from under her skin, through her armor. Her vallaslin became corrupted._ She should’ve accepted my offer.

_Another shard was lifted and shot toward Vivienne. The woman held it back with a barrier, deflected it. “Sera, we have to move!”_

_The younger elf was shrouded in a haze of fear and panic. Vivienne limped quickly toward the terrified young woman._

“ _Go then. I have what I need.”_

_Blackwall coughed below him and rolled over. The fires had gone out, nothing to feed them. “I won’t… allow it.”_

_Corypheus shook his head. “It is already done, Warden.” He smirked. “But you are not a Warden, are you.”_

_Blackwall grunted, staggering to his feet. He leaned back down to rescue his sword. “Good thing, too.” The sword was lifted and plunged into Corypheus’s chest. “How you have nowhere to go.”_

_Corypheus just laughed again. His body fell, a strange wisp of magic transferring from his body to the Inquisitor._

_Her screaming stopped, her body fell to her knees. Blackwall looked to her, fell to his knees beside her. “Come on, Lavellan, we can figure this out. We’ll get you back to Skyhold. That dwarf girl can find a way to help you.”_

_She smirked. “Yes.”_ She sounded different.  _Her hand shot out to take his throat. As she stood, Blackwall’s feet left the ground. “But I think you should help me first.”_

_Red lyrium shot up from the sand and plunged into his side. Blackwall cried out, his eyes widening as the irises turned red. Vivienne and Sera turned, headed for the exit. Red Templars snatched them up and held them close._

_The Inquisitor dropped Blackwall. “Come, we must return to the Arbor Wilds.”_

Solas was pulled from the Fade by the sound of swords clanging. Dorian must’ve cast a barrier over him while they fought, while he slept. He sat up, shaking the sleep from his senses, and took a look around him.

Red Templars had infiltrated while he dreamt. Cassandra and Cullen held them at bay with their shields and swords while Varric littered them with crossbow bolts from a garden area. It was elevated, making it safer for him to shoot the enemies. Dorian did his best to provide support, reviving the corpses of the Templar’s allies to fight them from behind.

The Red Templars must’ve been waiting for them. Corypheus must’ve known they would come here looking for her. And how could he not? He was inside her.

The Inquisitor was gone, corrupted, replaced by Corypheus. Solas closed his eyes, felt his ears sag, and grabbed his staff.

He had never told her. He stood and cast a barrier on the others. Dorian called something to him, but Solas shot a bolt of lightning through the former Templar and Seeker. The Red Templars, stunned at the electric shock, took more bolts to the face.

Solas had never had a chance. He should’ve told her. The truth. About how he felt, about who he was.

And now he would never get that chance.


	3. Forget

He sat by the campfire, arms wrapped around his knees, eyes watching the flames dance. She was gone. Just like everything he ever touched, everything he ever loved. And he had been powerless to stop it.

He had to forget her. He had to let go. Just like he had with the others. He had to forget how perfectly she fit against his side. How comfortable it was to sit in her quarters, with her head nestled into the crook of his arm, allowing enough room for him to read a book while she read her own. How excited she would be when she discovered something she had not known in the text and shared that with him. How her eyes lit up when he would return the favor.

He had to forget how beautiful she was in the moonlight. How her tears fell at his paintings. They were so beautiful, they moved her, she had told him. How her lips felt on his, in and out of the Fade. How she had opened herself to him, trusted him completely.

And he had fed her to the darkspawn. He had been the original owner of that orb and he had needed more power. He had entered the Fade, asked for help, and been betrayed as he had betrayed so many others. He had only wanted to correct his mistakes. And instead…

“You didn’t get anything to eat, Chuckles.”

The smell of Cullen’s road stew filled his nose as Varric lowered a bowl towards him. He looked to it, accepted the bowl, and rested it at his feet. Varric stood beside him, waiting for the elf to take the spoon and eat a bit, or even to thank him. When nothing came, Varric cleared his throat and dropped onto the sand next to him.

“Never thought I’d see the day when you didn’t talk about your walk in the Fade, Chuckles.” Varric pulled Bianca over his back and started to check her over.

Solas recognized Varric’s attempt at camaraderie, at his desire to help his friend? Could he call him that? But this was a secret Solas had never shared, never planned to share. There was no reason to. She was gone, corrupted, ruined, _destroyed_. He swallowed the bile at the memory of her face riddled with red lyrium, at the vallaslin corrupted with tiny shards, at the monster she had become. Just like Corypheus.

Just like him.

Varric took a deep breath beside him. “Good thing we had Curly and the Seeker. To help keep you safe. Though, I think they would be happier knowing if your dream expedition actually bore fruit.” He pulled the string back. Might give them a little comfort to know where to head next. That sort of thing.”

Solas set his jaw. “The Arbor Wilds.”

Bianca’s string was released with a twang. Varric raised his eyebrows. “The what?”

Solas furrowed his brow. Even if she were gone, he would take vengeance for his loss. He would kill the creature that had betrayed him, destroyed her, and he would restore the orb. He would remedy his mistakes.


End file.
